Air Disasters(2011–)

Invisible Killer

On Aug 2, 1985 — Delta Air Lines Flight 191 (L-1011): On approach to Dallas/Fort Worth in stormy weather, the jet suddenly plunges short of the runway. Investigators race to uncover what brought it down.

Gimli Glider

On Jul 23, 1983 — Air Canada Flight 143 (Boeing 767): Halfway from Montreal to Edmonton, a brand-new airliner runs completely out of fuel at 41,000 feet, leaving the crew to attempt the impossible.

Behind Closed Doors

On Jun 12, 1972 & Mar 3, 1974 — American Airlines Flight 96 & Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (DC-10s): Two DC-10s suffer sudden decompressions in flight, two years apart. Investigators probe whether the incidents are connected.

Fanning the Flames

On Nov 28, 1987 — South African Airways Flight 295 (Boeing 747 Combi): En route from Taipei to Johannesburg, the cabin fills with smoke over the Indian Ocean, launching one of the deepest wreckage recoveries ever attempted.

Dead Weight

On Jan 8, 2003 — Air Midwest Flight 5481 (Beechcraft 1900D): Seconds after takeoff from Charlotte, a commuter flight pitches out of control. Investigators search for answers in the smallest details.

Southern Storm

On Apr 4, 1977 — Southern Airways Flight 242 (DC-9): A flight through severe Georgia thunderstorms leaves the crew battling to keep their crippled jet aloft with nowhere to land.

Explosive Evidence

On Jun 23, 1985 — Air India Flight 182 (Boeing 747): A jumbo jet vanishes from radar over the Atlantic near Ireland, triggering an investigation that spans continents.

Mixed Signals

On Feb 6, 1996 — Birgenair Flight 301 (Boeing 757): Moments after a night takeoff from the Dominican Republic, the crew is confronted by baffling and contradictory instrument readings.

Fatal Distraction

On Dec 29, 1972 — Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (L-1011): On a clear night approach to Miami, a state-of-the-art jet descends unnoticed into the Everglades. Investigators must explain how.

Nuts and Bolts

On Feb 16, 2000 — Emery Worldwide Flight 17 (DC-8): Immediately after takeoff from Sacramento, a cargo jet pitches wildly and banks out of control, and what investigators first suspect isn't what they find.

Blown Away

On Jul 23, 2014 — TransAsia Airways Flight 222 (ATR 72): Landing in foul weather on Taiwan's Penghu islands, a commuter flight crashes short of the airport — and a second crash months later deepens investigators' suspicions.

Deadly Descent

On Apr 13, 2010 — Cathay Pacific Flight 780 (Airbus A330): Approaching Hong Kong, a jet loses control of both engines' power, forcing the crew to attempt a landing at nearly double the normal touchdown speed.

Death Race

On Sep 16, 2011 — "The Galloping Ghost" (modified P-51 Mustang): At the Reno Air Races, a WWII-era racer suddenly pitches up and plunges toward the crowd, leaving investigators to explain a split-second disaster.

Deadly Silence

On Oct 25, 1999 — Learjet 35 N47BA: A private jet carrying golf champion Payne Stewart stops responding to radio calls and flies on across the Midwest, with Air Force fighters scrambling to find out why.

The Pentagon Attack

On Sep 11, 2001 — American Airlines Flight 77 (Boeing 757): Minutes after leaving Washington Dulles, hijackers turn a jet back toward the capital and into the Pentagon, forever changing commercial aviation.

Pitch Problems

Special — Multiple incidents: Three aircraft suddenly rear up or dive as their crews battle for pitch control, and investigators trace each fight back to its source.

Fight to the Finish

Special — Multiple incidents, including Trans-Air Service Flight 671, Air Astana Flight 1388, and Philippine Airlines Flight 434: Three crews face impossible odds — and refuse to give up the fight.

Communication Breakdown

Special — Multiple incidents (1977–1997), including United Express Flight 5925, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152, and the Tenerife disaster: How small miscommunications between cockpits, towers, and crews have triggered some of aviation's worst tragedies.

Fatal Friction

Fight for Control

On Jun 8, 1983 — Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 (Lockheed Electra): High over the Pacific off Alaska, a propeller tears loose and slices into the fuselage, jamming the controls of a plane still hours from safety.

Fire in the Hold

On May 11, 1996 — ValuJet Flight 592 (DC-9): Minutes after leaving Miami, smoke pours into the cabin and the jet plunges into the Everglades, igniting a controversy that rocks the FAA itself.

Cracks in the System

On Dec 19, 2005 — Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 (Grumman Turbo Mallard): A vintage seaplane bound for the Bahamas goes down moments after lifting off from Miami's Watson Island, stunning witnesses along the shoreline.

Target is Destroyed

Choosing Sides

On Jan 8, 1989 — British Midland Flight 92 (Boeing 737): After trouble erupts in one engine, a jet diverting for an emergency landing crashes onto a motorway embankment just short of the runway at East Midlands.

Testing the Limits

On May 26, 1991 — Lauda Air Flight 004 (Boeing 767): A jet bound for Vienna breaks apart in the night sky over Thailand, and airline owner and racing legend Niki Lauda personally joins the fight for answers.

Terror Over The Pacific

On Feb 24, 1989 — United Airlines Flight 811 (Boeing 747): Climbing out of Honolulu at night, a jumbo jet's fuselage suddenly tears open, hurling passengers into the darkness as the crew fights to get back.

Hanging by a Thread

On Apr 28, 1988 — Aloha Airlines Flight 243 (Boeing 737): On a short Hawaiian island hop, a large section of the cabin roof suddenly tears away at 24,000 feet, leaving passengers exposed to the open sky.

Attack Over Baghdad

Headline News

Special — Multiple incidents: Three crashes that made front-page news around the world, and how intense media pressure shaped the investigations that followed.

Rookie Errors

Special — Multiple incidents, including LAPA Flight 3142, American Airlines Flight 587, and Colgan Air Flight 3407: Even highly trained crews can fall prey to the most basic mistakes — with devastating results.

Fight to the Death

On Jun 18, 1972 — BEA Flight 548 (Hawker Siddeley Trident): Minutes after takeoff from London Heathrow, a jet bound for Brussels fell from the sky near Staines, leaving investigators without survivors or flight recordings to explain it.

Speed Trap

Fatal Transmission

On Nov 19, 1996 — United Express Flight 5925 (Beechcraft 1900): Landing at Quincy, Illinois, a commuter flight collides with a private plane departing on an intersecting runway, and investigators ask why no one escaped a survivable crash.

Terror in San Francisco

Explosive Proof

On Jul 17, 1996 — TWA Flight 800 (Boeing 747): Minutes after leaving JFK for Paris, a jumbo jet explodes off Long Island, and the NTSB attempts the unthinkable: rebuilding the plane piece by piece.

Killer Attitude

On Dec 1, 1993 — Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 (Jetstream 31): On a night descent into Hibbing, Minnesota, a commuter turboprop clips the treetops and slams into a hillside, and the inquiry reaches back months before the flight.

Deadly Myth

On Jan 9, 1997 — Comair Flight 3272 (Embraer 120): A commuter flight on approach to Detroit suddenly rolls and dives into a frozen field, and investigators find the FAA's own assumptions on trial.

The Turning Point

On Apr 15, 2002 — Air China Flight 129 (Boeing 767): A late change of approach into Busan, South Korea sends a jet into fog-shrouded hills — and investigators dissect the crew's final moments together.

Lethal Turn

On Sep 26, 1997 — Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 (Airbus A300): Descending toward Medan through thick haze from forest fires, an airliner strikes terrain miles from the airport — Indonesia's deadliest crash.

Storming Out

On Jul 2, 1994 — USAir Flight 1016 (DC-9): On a summer afternoon approach to Charlotte, a jet is caught by one of the most powerful microbursts on record, and investigators ask whether weather alone explains it.

Caught on Tape

On Feb 4, 2015 — TransAsia Airways Flight 235 (ATR 72): Minutes after takeoff from Taipei, a commuter plane banks over a highway and into the Keelung River — captured by a passing car's dashcam.

Terror Over Egypt

On Oct 31, 2015 — Metrojet Flight 9268 (Airbus A321): A charter carrying Russian tourists home vanishes from radar minutes after leaving Sharm el-Sheikh, and the wreckage in the Sinai raises hard questions.

Deadly Discussions

On Aug 31, 1999 — LAPA Flight 3142 (Boeing 737): A jet leaving Buenos Aires never lifts off, hurtling past the airport boundary, and investigators must explain how a basic takeoff went wrong.

Holding Pattern

On Mar 19, 2016 — Flydubai Flight 981 (Boeing 737): After circling for two hours in foul weather over Rostov-on-Don, Russia, a jet abandons its second landing attempt — and seconds later dives into the runway.

Peril Over Portugal

On Dec 21, 1992 — Martinair Flight 495 (DC-10): Landing at Faro, Portugal amid thunderstorms, a holiday charter from Amsterdam slams down, breaks apart, and burns — yet most on board survive to tell the story.

Stealth Bomber Down

On Feb 23, 2008 — USAF B-2 Spirit "Spirit of Kansas": Moments after takeoff from Guam, a $2 billion stealth bomber pitches up violently and falls — the most expensive aviation accident in history.

Double Trouble

On Mar 31, 1992 — Trans-Air Service Flight 671 (Boeing 707): An explosion over the French Alps tears both engines from a cargo jet's right wing, leaving the crew muscling a crippled freighter toward a military airfield.

Pacific Plunge

On Jan 31, 2000 — Alaska Airlines Flight 261 (MD-83): En route from Mexico to San Francisco, a jet develops a jammed stabilizer, and the crew's fight to save it ends in the Pacific off the California coast.

Terror Over Michigan

On Apr 4, 1979 — TWA Flight 841 (Boeing 727): Cruising at 39,000 feet over Saginaw, Michigan, a jet suddenly rolls and spirals into a dive — and after the recovery, investigators suspect the crew isn't telling the whole story.

Tree Strike Terror

On Nov 12, 1995 — American Airlines Flight 1572 (MD-83): Descending through a severe storm toward Bradley Airport in Connecticut, a jet strikes trees on a ridgeline miles from the runway — with the control tower dark.

Pitch Black

On Oct 11, 1983 — Air Illinois Flight 710 (HS 748): A commuter turboprop loses its electrical power on a stormy night flight over southern Illinois, leaving its pilots flying blind in total darkness.

Turboprop Terror

On Dec 13, 1994 — Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 (Jetstream 32): An American Eagle commuter flight stalls and crashes into a North Carolina forest on approach to Raleigh-Durham, exposing an industry-wide training gap.

Blind Spot

On Sep 25, 1978 — PSA Flight 182 (Boeing 727): On a clear San Diego morning, a jet on approach collides with a small Cessna over a residential neighborhood, at the time the deadliest air disaster in U.S. history.

Mayday Munich

On Feb 6, 1958 — British European Airways Flight 609 (Airspeed Ambassador): A charter carrying the Manchester United football team crashes on takeoff from a snowy Munich airfield after a refueling stop, shaking the sporting world.

I'm the Problem

On Dec 7, 1987 — PSA Flight 1771 (BAe 146): A California commuter flight plunges from cruise altitude after gunshots are heard in the cabin, turning a crash investigation into a criminal one.

Impossible Landing

On Jul 19, 1989 — United Airlines Flight 232 (DC-10): After a catastrophic engine failure cripples their flight controls, the crew attempts a landing at Sioux City that no pilot had ever trained for.

Turning Point

On Oct 9, 2002 — Northwest Airlines Flight 85 (Boeing 747): High over the Bering Sea, a jumbo jet suddenly rolls hard on its own, forcing the crew into a wrestling match with their own aircraft en route to an emergency landing in Anchorage.

Breakup Over Texas

On Sep 11, 1991 — Continental Express Flight 2574 (Embraer 120): A commuter turboprop suddenly pitches over and breaks apart in the sky near Eagle Lake, Texas, leaving investigators a field of scattered clues.

Under Pressure

On Jul 11, 1991 — Nationair Flight 2120 (DC-8): Moments after takeoff from Jeddah, a charter carrying pilgrims home to Nigeria develops an onboard fire traced to the first seconds of its takeoff roll.

The Invisible Plane

On Oct 8, 2001 — SAS Flight 686 (MD-87): Accelerating for takeoff in dense fog at Milan's Linate Airport, an airliner collides with a small jet on the runway, exposing how both came to share the same strip of pavement.

Bad Attitude

On Dec 22, 1999 — Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 (Boeing 747): A freighter crashes into a field moments after a night takeoff from London Stansted, drawing investigators into the cockpit's final minute.

Split Decision

On Dec 12, 1985 — Arrow Air Flight 1285 (DC-8): A charter returning U.S. soldiers home for the holidays crashes seconds after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland — a disaster whose cause is debated to this day.

Pacific Ditching

On Jul 2, 2021 — Transair Flight 810 (Boeing 737): Minutes after a night takeoff from Honolulu, a cargo crew reports engine trouble and ditches in the dark Pacific — but the recovered wreckage tells a different story than the pilots do.

Running On Empty

On Aug 13, 2004 — Air Tahoma Flight 185 (Convair 580): Within sight of the runway at Cincinnati, both engines of a cargo turboprop flame out, and it comes down on a golf course short of the field.

Power Struggle

On Jan 9, 2021 — Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 (Boeing 737): Minutes after leaving Jakarta in heavy rain, a jet banks hard and plunges into the Java Sea, and the investigation surfaces defects no one had caught.

Second Thoughts

On Nov 6, 2002 — Luxair Flight 9642 (Fokker 50): On a foggy morning approach to Luxembourg, a commuter flight from Berlin suddenly drops from the sky just miles from the runway.

Powerless Plunge

On Feb 27, 2001 — Loganair Flight 670A (Short 360): Moments after a night takeoff from Edinburgh, a mail plane loses both engines and comes down in the frigid Firth of Forth, and investigators trace the cause to the ground.

Cabin Chaos

On Apr 6, 1993 — China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 (MD-11): High over the North Pacific, a jet suddenly pitches into violent oscillations that hurl passengers about the cabin, forcing an emergency landing on a remote Aleutian island.

Deadly Climb

On Sep 6, 1985 — Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 (DC-9): Seconds after takeoff from Milwaukee — in aviation's deadliest year — a jet rolls out of its climb and crashes just beyond the airport.

Firebomber Down

On Jan 23, 2020 — Coulson Aviation Tanker 134 (C-130): Battling catastrophic bushfires in New South Wales, an air tanker goes down after a retardant drop, and investigators must work inside an active fire zone.

Collision Catastrophe

On Jul 1, 2002 — Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 & DHL Flight 611: Witnesses on the ground watch two aircraft collide in the night sky over southern Germany, and investigators confront how it could happen under modern air traffic control.

Fatal Test Flight

On Dec 22, 1996 — Airborne Express Flight 827 (DC-8): During a post-maintenance evaluation flight over Virginia, a cargo jet's test of its stall behavior goes catastrophically wrong in the mountains.

North Sea Nightmare

On Dec 15, 2014 — Loganair Flight 6780 (Saab 2000): Struck by lightning on approach to the Shetland Islands, a turboprop suddenly stops answering its pilots' commands and plunges toward the North Sea.

Playing Catch Up

On Nov 10, 2015 — ExecuFlight Flight 1526 (Hawker 700A): A charter jet on approach to Akron, Ohio slams into an apartment building, and the NTSB untangles an erratic descent and a troubling backstory.

Tragic Takeoff

On Aug 27, 2006 — Comair Flight 5191 (CRJ-100): In the pre-dawn darkness at Lexington, Kentucky, a commuter jet runs out of pavement before it can get airborne, and investigators retrace every step from gate to runway.

Grounded: Boeing Max 8

On Oct 29, 2018 — Lion Air Flight 610 (Boeing 737 MAX 8): Minutes after leaving Jakarta, one of the world's newest airliners plunges into the Java Sea, and the answers will shake the industry to its foundations.

Cabin Catastrophe

On Apr 17, 2018 — Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 (Boeing 737): An engine explodes at cruise altitude over Pennsylvania, shattering a window and nearly pulling a passenger from the plane as the crew fights to get down.

Meltdown Over Kathmandu

On Mar 12, 2018 — US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 (Dash 8 Q400): Arriving at one of the world's most challenging airports, a flight from Dhaka comes in wildly off profile and crashes beside the runway at Kathmandu.

Mission Disaster

On Feb 6, 1991 — USAF KC-135E "Whale 05": On a Gulf War refueling mission out of Jeddah, a tanker crew is suddenly thrown into a violent fight for control high over the Saudi desert.

Caught in a Jam

On Jun 9, 1995 — Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 (Dash 8): A commuter flight goes down in the hills short of Palmerston North, New Zealand — and for the survivors, the freezing wait for rescue becomes its own battle.

Seconds from Touchdown

On Jun 18, 1998 — Propair Flight 420 (Fairchild Metro): Twelve minutes after leaving Montreal, a commuter turboprop loses hydraulics, then an engine, then catches fire, as the crew races for the runway at Mirabel.

Miracle Escape

On Aug 2, 2005 — Air France Flight 358 (Airbus A340): Landing at Toronto in a fierce thunderstorm, a jet with over 300 aboard overruns the runway and erupts in flames — and the clock starts on getting everyone out.

Falling from the Sky

On Jun 24, 1982 — British Airways Flight 9 (Boeing 747): Cruising at night toward Australia, a jumbo jet loses all four engines over the Indian Ocean, leaving the crew gliding in the dark toward Jakarta.

Fire Fight

On Jun 2, 1983 — Air Canada Flight 797 (DC-9): With smoke filling the cabin from a hidden fire, the crew races to get their jet on the ground in Cincinnati — where the ordeal is far from over.

Missed Approach

On Aug 6, 1997 — Korean Air Flight 801 (Boeing 747): On a rainy night approach to Guam, a jumbo jet descends into a hillside short of the airport, and investigators look hard at the final minutes in the cockpit.

Hidden Danger

On Mar 3, 1991 & Sep 8, 1994 — United Airlines Flight 585 & USAir Flight 427 (Boeing 737s): Two 737s suddenly roll and dive from clear skies, years apart, launching one of the longest investigations in NTSB history.

Panic Over the Pacific

On Feb 19, 1985 — China Airlines Flight 006 (Boeing 747SP): Nearing the end of a long haul to Los Angeles, a jumbo jet plunges six miles in minutes over the Pacific, and investigators ask how it got that far out of hand.

Out of Sight

On Aug 31, 1986 — Aeroméxico Flight 498 (DC-9): On approach to Los Angeles, an airliner collides with a small private plane over the suburb of Cerritos, spurring changes in how aircraft are tracked.

Fog of War

On Apr 3, 1996 — USAF IFO-21 (CT-43A/Boeing 737): A military transport carrying Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and a U.S. trade delegation crashes into a Croatian hillside on approach to Dubrovnik in bad weather.

Vertigo

On Jan 3, 2004 — Flash Airlines Flight 604 (Boeing 737): Minutes after a pre-dawn takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh, a charter carrying vacationers banks into the Red Sea, and the investigation strains international cooperation.

Kathmandu Descent

On Sep 28, 1992 — PIA Flight 268 (Airbus A300): Minutes from landing at Kathmandu, an airliner descends into the mountainous terrain guarding one of the world's most demanding approaches.

Impossible Pitch

On Jan 8, 2016 — West Air Sweden Flight 294 (CRJ-200): On a night mail run over northern Sweden, a cargo jet suddenly dives from cruise, and investigators trace the chaos to a single instrument.

Explosive Touchdown

On Aug 24, 1999 — Uni Air Flight 873 (MD-90): The flight to Hualien, Taiwan is routine — until the moment of landing, when the cabin erupts and passengers must escape a burning aircraft.

Taxiway Turmoil

On Dec 3, 1990 — Northwest Airlines Flights 1482 & 299 (DC-9 & Boeing 727): In dense fog at Detroit, a taxiing DC-9 ends up on an active runway, directly in the path of a jet accelerating for takeoff.

Runway Breakup

On Aug 16, 2010 — Aires Flight 8250 (Boeing 737): Landing on Colombia's San Andrés Island in a violent tropical storm, a jet touches down short of the runway and breaks apart — yet the story doesn't end there.

Icy Descent

On May 18, 2011 — Sol Líneas Aéreas Flight 5428 (Saab 340): A commuter flight vanishes over the Argentine desert at night, and a microscopic filament becomes investigators' first real clue.

Atlantic Ditching

On Mar 12, 2009 — Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 (Sikorsky S-92): Ferrying oil workers offshore from Newfoundland, a helicopter crew reports mechanical trouble over the frigid North Atlantic — and the investigation reaches around the world.

No Warning

On Aug 16, 2015 — Trigana Air Flight 267 (ATR 42): A short hop over Papua, Indonesia ends against a mountainside with no distress call, leaving investigators to work out what the crew never saw coming.

Cockpit Killer

On Nov 29, 2013 — LAM Mozambique Flight 470 (Embraer 190): A flight from Maputo to Luanda goes down in a remote Namibian wilderness, and investigators eliminate cause after cause before reaching a chilling conclusion.

Deadly Exchange

On Oct 19, 2004 — Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 (Jetstream 32): On a misty night approach to Kirksville, Missouri, a commuter flight comes down in the woods just short of the airport, and the NTSB dissects its final seconds.

Missed Opportunities

On Feb 8, 1989 — Independent Air Flight 1851 (Boeing 707): A charter carrying Italian tourists to the Dominican Republic strikes a hilltop on Portugal's Santa Maria Island during a routine refueling stop approach.

Pressure Point

On Aug 12, 1985 — Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Boeing 747SR): Minutes after leaving Tokyo, a packed evening flight suffers a sudden loss of pressurization and struggles for control before crashing into the mountains northwest of the city.

Power Play

On Oct 13, 2011 — Airlines PNG Flight 1600 (Dash 8): Descending through storms toward Madang, Papua New Guinea, a turboprop's engines run wildly out of control, and investigators uncover a trap built into the aircraft itself.

Control Catastrophe

On Nov 11, 2018 — Air Astana Flight 1388 (Embraer 190): Leaving Portugal after heavy maintenance, a ferry flight becomes nearly unflyable the moment it's airborne, forcing the crew into a series of desperate landing attempts.

Cockpit Catastrophe

On May 14, 2018 — Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 (Airbus A319): High over the Tibetan Plateau, a cockpit windshield shatters, partially pulling the first officer out and leaving the captain to fly through freezing wind and thin air.

Dream Flight Disaster

On Dec 31, 2017 — Sydney Seaplanes charter (DHC-2 Beaver): On New Year's Eve, a sightseeing seaplane carrying a British CEO and his family crashes into Jerusalem Bay north of Sydney, prompting a high-profile investigation.

Deadly Deception

On Mar 7, 1983 — Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 013 (Antonov An-24): Hijackers seize a domestic Bulgarian flight demanding passage to Vienna, and the crew's only hope is an elaborate bluff played out in the dark.

Delivery to Disaster

On Feb 23, 2019 — Atlas Air Flight 3591 (Boeing 767): An Amazon cargo flight nosedives into a Texas swamp minutes from Houston, and the evidence leads investigators deep into a pilot's past.

Cockpit Failure

On Nov 24, 2001 — Crossair Flight 3597 (Avro RJ100): On a night approach to Zurich in poor weather, a regional jet descends into a wooded hillside short of the runway, and the airline itself comes under scrutiny.

The Heathrow Enigma

On Jan 17, 2008 — British Airways Flight 38 (Boeing 777): Seconds from touchdown at Heathrow, both engines of one of the world's safest jets refuse to respond, leaving the crew a heartbeat to act.

Pilot Betrayed

On Dec 27, 1991 — SAS Flight 751 (MD-81): Minutes after taking off from a snowy Stockholm, a jet loses both engines, forcing a desperate landing in a frozen field — and ending a captain's career unjustly, some say.

Dead Tired

On Feb 12, 2009 — Continental Connection Flight 3407 (Dash 8 Q400): On approach to Buffalo on a winter night, a commuter flight suddenly pitches out of control and falls onto a house below.

Hudson River Runway

On Jan 15, 2009 — US Airways Flight 1549 (Airbus A320): Minutes after leaving LaGuardia, a jet loses both engines to a bird strike over New York City — and the crew makes history on the Hudson River.

Who's In Control?

On Feb 25, 2009 — Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 (Boeing 737): On final approach to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, a jet drops out of the sky into a farm field, and investigators weigh plane against pilots.

Unlocking Disaster

On Feb 24, 1989 — United Airlines Flight 811 (Boeing 747): Climbing out of Honolulu, a jumbo jet's cargo door area bursts open, tearing a hole in the cabin — and one victim's parents refuse to accept the official answers.

Racing The Storm

On Jun 1, 1999 — American Airlines Flight 1420 (MD-82): Pushing to beat a violent storm into Little Rock, Arkansas, a crew gets their jet on the runway — but can't keep it there.

Fire on Board

On Sep 2, 1998 — Swissair Flight 111 (MD-11): A flight from New York to Geneva reports smoke in the cockpit over the Atlantic and turns for Halifax, beginning one of the most exhaustive investigations ever mounted.

Cutting Corners

On Jan 31, 2000 — Alaska Airlines Flight 261 (MD-83): After a jammed stabilizer leaves a jet nearly uncontrollable off the California coast, investigators uncover disturbing truths about maintenance and cost-cutting.

Flying on Empty

On Aug 24, 2001 — Air Transat Flight 236 (Airbus A330): High over the Atlantic, a state-of-the-art jet runs out of fuel, leaving the crew to glide toward a tiny island in the Azores.

Blow Out

On Jun 10, 1990 — British Airways Flight 5390 (BAC One-Eleven): A cockpit windscreen blows out at 17,000 feet, pulling the captain halfway out of the aircraft — and the crew must land while holding onto him.

A Wounded Bird

On Aug 21, 1995 — Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 (Embraer 120): A propeller blade snaps over Georgia, wrecking an engine on its mount and forcing the crew down into a hayfield — where the fight to survive continues.

The Killing Machine

On Dec 24, 1994 — Air France Flight 8969 (Airbus A300): Hijackers seize a jet on the ground in Algiers on Christmas Eve, beginning a three-day ordeal that ends with French commandos storming the plane at Marseille.

Flying Blind

On Oct 2, 1996 — Aeroperú Flight 603 (Boeing 757): On a night departure from Lima, a jet's instruments feed the crew a stream of contradictions over the dark Pacific — and the cause proves maddeningly small.

Deadly Crossroads

On Jul 1, 2002 — Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 & DHL Flight 611: A passenger jet and a cargo plane cross paths at night over Überlingen, Germany, and the investigation turns to the lone controller on duty.

Lost

On Dec 20, 1995 — American Airlines Flight 965 (Boeing 757): On a night descent toward Cali, Colombia, a jet drifts off course into mountainous terrain, and investigators probe the modern navigation meant to prevent exactly that.

Missing Over New York

On Jan 25, 1990 — Avianca Flight 52 (Boeing 707): After hours of holding in bad weather outside New York, a flight from Colombia goes silent and comes down in a Long Island village — with the cause hiding in plain hearing.

Runaway Train

On May 12, 1989 — Southern Pacific freight train, San Bernardino, CA: Descending the Cajon Pass with far more weight than its crew realizes, a freight train loses its brakes and derails into a residential street — and the disaster isn't over.

Collision Course

On Sep 26, 2000 — Express Samina (Greek ferry): On a windy night crossing to Paros, a ferry strikes a charted rock formation within sight of port, plunging hundreds of passengers into the sea.

Head-On Collision

On Feb 8, 1986 — CN freight & VIA Rail passenger trains, Hinton, Alberta: Two trains meet head-on on the same track in the Canadian Rockies — one of the deadliest and most puzzling accidents in Canadian rail history.

Ripped Apart

Special — Multiple incidents (1988–1990), including Aloha Airlines Flight 243, United Airlines Flight 811, and British Airways Flight 5390: How seemingly minor flaws in windows, doors, and aging airframes have torn planes apart in flight.

Fatal Flaw

Special — Multiple incidents (1985–2000), including Japan Airlines Flight 123 and Alaska Airlines Flight 261: How maintenance oversights and cost-cutting have led to some of aviation's worst tragedies.

Time of War

Special — Multiple incidents: Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory — the extraordinary risks facing crews who fly through the world's war zones.

Time Critical

Special — Multiple incidents: Pressured by deadlines, three crews rush, skip key procedures, and ignore warning signs — with deadly consequences.

Ticking Time Bomb

Special — Multiple incidents: Three aircraft brought down by gradually deteriorating parts, where neglected maintenance turned wear and tear into catastrophe.

Accidents in the Air

Special — Multiple incidents, including Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, Aloha Airlines Flight 243, and Air Canada Flight 797: Mid-flight emergencies that tore aircraft open — and the crews who had to get them down.

Impossible Landings

Special — Multiple incidents: With zero margin for error, three crews manage to land their crippled aircraft against all odds.

Trained to Fail

Special — Multiple incidents, including Loganair Flight 6780 and the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team charter: When pilot training falls short, emergencies in the cockpit escalate into disaster.

Deadly Data

Special — Multiple incidents: Hidden flaws buried in navigation and flight computers feed three crews fatal errors, forcing investigators to dig deep into the code.

Poor Piloting

Special — Multiple incidents, including Manx2 Flight 7100 and Aeroflot Flight 593: Fatigue, fog, and lapses in judgment lead three crews into catastrophic blunders.

Dangerous Winds

Special — Multiple incidents: Three aircraft fall prey to fearsome winds, and investigators must untangle what the weather did — and what the crews could have done.

Scratching the Surface

On May 25, 2002 — China Airlines Flight 611 (Boeing 747): Twenty minutes after leaving Taipei for Hong Kong, a jumbo jet vanishes from radar over the Taiwan Strait, and the answer lies buried decades in the past.

Lockerbie Disaster

On Dec 21, 1988 — Pan Am Flight 103 (Boeing 747): Four days before Christmas, a bomb destroys a jumbo jet over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, launching one of the largest criminal investigations in history.

Blown Apart

On Sep 8, 1989 — Partnair Flight 394 (Convair 580): A charter carrying shipping company employees from Oslo to Hamburg suddenly dives from 22,000 feet into the sea, and the wreckage tells a troubling story.

Sight Unseen

On Nov 12, 1996 — Saudia Flight 763 (Boeing 747) & Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 (Il-76): Two airliners converge in the evening sky near Charkhi Dadri, India — the deadliest mid-air collision in history.

Operation Babylift

On Apr 4, 1975 — USAF C-5A Galaxy: In the final days of the Vietnam War, the first flight of a mass evacuation of orphans suffers a catastrophic failure shortly after leaving Saigon, forcing a desperate emergency landing.

Falling Fast

On Aug 6, 2005 — Tuninter Flight 1153 (ATR 72): En route from Bari to the island of Djerba, a turboprop's engines fall silent over the Mediterranean, forcing the crew to ditch within sight of the Sicilian coast.

Lost

On Jan 1, 2007 — Adam Air Flight 574 (Boeing 737): A New Year's Day flight vanishes over the Makassar Strait in Indonesia, and the hunt for wreckage and answers exposes an industry under strain.